2026 Ford Escape

Name: 2026 Ford Escape
Brand: Ford
Price: 30050 USD

Price Range: $30,050 - $38,635

2026 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV Exterior

The 2026 Ford Escape is a spacious and comfortable compact SUV with a user-friendly infotainment system and wide range of powertrain options, but many of its competitors match it in those areas and also offer more driving engagement and a higher-quality interior.Read full review

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Edmunds suggests you pay

$29,214

Prices based on sales in MA thru 8/18/25

Final assembly in USA

2026 Ford Escape Review

Pros

Roomy and comfortable seating
Smooth ride quality
Easy-to-use controls
Available hybrid powertrain that gets around 40 mpg

Cons

Transmission's abrupt shifts
Lackluster handling

What's new

Platinum hybrid is now all-wheel-drive only
No longer for sale in California and states with California emissions
Part of the fourth Escape generation introduced for 2020

Overview

by the Edmunds Experts

7/18/2025

The 2026 Ford Escape is a compact SUV that offers a multitude of drivetrain options, including two turbocharged gas engines, a conventional hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. The Escape is a practical and economical small crossover, but it doesn't deliver the same level of interior quality or driver engagement as most of its rivals.

Edmunds spotlight: Two hybrid powertrains to choose from

The Escape offers not one but two hybrid options. The standard hybrid, which is available on ST-Line trims and up, pairs a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor and continuously variable transmission. It makes 192 horsepower and gets up to an EPA-estimated 39 mpg. There's also the Escape PHEV, or plug-in hybrid. It makes 210 hp from its 2.5-liter gas engine and electric motor setup. You can charge its battery pack using a standard 120-volt outlet or a higher-voltage Level 2 charger. On a full charge, the Escape PHEV is estimated to be able to drive 37 miles on battery power alone. And once the battery runs out, it switches to operating as a regular hybrid and gets an estimated 40 mpg. If you do a lot of city driving and can frequently charge at home, we think the Escape PHEV is the better choice of the two.

Competitors to consider

The Escape competes with the many other compact SUVs in its class, including the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-50, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. All of those drive better and have nicer interiors than the Escape. For plug-in hybrid competitors, the Escape has the Kia Sportage PHEV, Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid and Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid. The Hyundai and Kia offer similar battery-only range but more power than the Escape. The RAV4 could be the most compelling pick for 2026. It's fully redesigned, and Toyota says it will be able to drive 50 miles on all-electric power.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Good

7.8

out of 10

We drove the 2026 Ford Escape on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7/10

How does the Escape drive? We tested the Escape ST-Line Elite with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. This motor makes plenty of power, allowing it to easily squirt through traffic and accelerate up to highway speeds. In Edmunds' testing, our Escape covered 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds, which is better than rival small SUVs with an upgraded engine.

Unfortunately, the eight-speed automatic transmission shifts slowly and can be jerky with its upshifts. Downshifts are similar, and you'll feel multiple small shocks as you decelerate. Even the engine stop-start system bucks the Escape when it restarts the engine as you take your foot off the brake. It all feels terribly unrefined and like something that Ford should have fixed before putting the Escape on sale.

The Escape's handling is disappointing too. It rolls a lot and has a ponderous feel as you go around turns. There's not much grip from the tires either. As for the steering, it's very light and low-effort in the default drive mode. Selecting Sport mode gives it more heft and makes it easier to figure out where the front wheels are pointed.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the Escape? Overall, we're happy with the level of comfort the Escape offers. The front seats are well shaped and have a pleasing amount of cushioning. The rear seats are also comfortable and provide a suitable amount of thigh support for adults.

Around town and on the highway, the Escape rides in a smooth and composed manner. It's also fairly quiet at speed, with road noise the prevailing source of sound intrusion. A dual-zone climate control system is now on the options list. Unfortunately, ventilated front seats and heated rears remain unavailable on any Escape trim.

Interior

8/10

How’s the interior? The Escape's cabin is functional and pleasantly laid out. The primary controls are easy to reach, and the steering wheel buttons take no time to decipher. The Sync 3 touchscreen interface is snappy and simple to operate as well but also grows to integrate more functions into the touchscreen. Tech-savvy buyers might appreciate the giant tablet display, while others might miss physical climate controls. The driver's seat gives you a commanding view outward, and it's only mildly impeded by the rising beltline toward the rear. The seat itself offers numerous adjustments that make it a cinch to dial in the perfect position. On the downside, the door armrests are a touch too narrow.

We're impressed by the Escape's use of space inside. There's plenty of room all around, and the deeply sculpted front seatbacks afford rear passengers lots of knee room. Headroom might run out for very tall rear occupants on models with the panoramic sunroof. Other than the tall doorsills, there are no issues getting into or out of the Escape.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

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2026 Ford Escape pricing in Norwood, MA

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Build & Price

Technology

8.5/10

How’s the tech? The Ford Escape's infotainment system is a highlight. The navigation setup is easy to use and quick to act, but oddly the newest version doesn't show you directional info when a point-of-interest search returns multiple locations (e.g., a Starbucks is 1 mile forward, or 0.5 mile to the left), as the pre-refresh version did. The standard six-speaker audio system is excellent for a base system, producing clear audio and punchy bass. The optional 10-speaker B&O system is even more impressive for this price class. Smartphone integration is excellent, and every model comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and plenty of powerpoints throughout the cabin.

The driving aids work well and almost all are standard. The lane centering feature works quite well on the highway, avoiding the "ping-ponging between the lanes" effect found on many rivals.

Storage

8/10

How’s the storage? The Escape, compared to most compact SUVs, has a cargo area that's a little smaller, at 33.5 cubic feet. We like the low floor and high seatbacks, affording you a lot of vertical storage space before luggage would cut into rear visibility. The rear seats don't fold flat, but the outboard seat belts can be disengaged from their seat holsters so there's no obstruction while loading cargo.

Interior storage is much better, with large cubbies in the front and sizable door pockets in the back. All cupholders have anti-tip tabs, which is fairly uncommon in this vehicle class. Easily accessible car seat anchors and tethers, plus the large rear seat, make it a breeze to load a child safety seat.

Escape models with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine can tow up to 3,500 pounds, which is typical for the segment.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

Fuel Economy

7/10

How’s the fuel economy? The Escape with the turbo 2.0-liter engine, which is what we tested, gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg combined. This is better than other small SUVs with similarly potent engines. Though the estimates are stellar, our observed fuel economy with our test vehicle fell short of expectations. We averaged just 20.2 mpg in our own real-world testing.

Value

7.5/10

Is the Escape a good value? The Escape's interior has plenty of soft-touch plastics up front, while hard plastics are generally silver, gloss black or otherwise textured in a way that shows effort. The synthetic leather upholstery on lower trims is surprisingly convincing, though the genuine leather on our test vehicle was too stiff to be comfortable. The panel gaps are a little inconsistent and the interior door handles feel inexcusably cheap, but overall it's an appealing cabin for the price.

Ford's pricing is competitive with other small SUVs with potent turbocharged engines, and revisions to the features structure over the years add value throughout the Escape lineup. (Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard, for instance.) Ford offers basic warranty coverage for three years/36,000 miles, with powertrain coverage and roadside assistance for five years/60,000 miles. All are average for the class.

Wildcard

7.5/10

The Escape has a fairly distinctive exterior and the ST-Line variants lend a sporty flair to the interior. The cabin is less immediately impressive if you select one of the non-ST variants, but after living with the Escape for a while, you'll appreciate how effortlessly usable it is. Oddly, the 2.0-liter turbo powertrain is the letdown here, with the transmission never quite feeling at ease. This trim with the hybrid engine is probably the sweet spot.

Which Escape trim does Edmunds recommend?

An ST-Line trim would be our pick because it's the least expensive model with the fuel-efficient hybrid drivetrain. Thanks to its more distinctive interior and larger 18-inch wheels, it looks sportier than the lesser Active trim.

Compare 2026 Ford Escape trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

Ford Escape models

The 2026 Ford Escape is a compact SUV available in six trim levels: Active, PHEV, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite and Platinum. Four powertrains are available, including a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, in the lineup. Keep reading for our rundown of each configuration and the Escape's standard and optional features.

The Active and ST-Line trims are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine (180 horsepower, 199 lb-ft of torque) paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. All-wheel drive is available as an option.

The ST-Line Select and higher trims upgrade to a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (250 hp, 280 lb-ft) with standard all-wheel drive.

Be aware that Ford offers a hybrid powertrain for the ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite and Platinum. This powertrain has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and makes 192 horsepower. It drives the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The exception is the Platinum hybrid, which comes with all-wheel drive.

Finally, there's the Escape PHEV with a plug-in version of the hybrid engine. It has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, combining for 210 total horsepower. It's joined to a continuously variable automatic transmission, driving only the front wheels. Unlike gas-only and regular hybrid Escape models, the Escape Plug-in Hybrid does not offer all-wheel drive. On a fully charged battery, the Escape Plug-in can travel about 37 miles on electric power after which it switches to regular gas-electric hybrid operation.

Active
Since the Base trim is only available as a fleet vehicle, the Active trim starts things off for the Escape:

17-inch alloy wheels
Cloth upholstery
8-inch infotainment touchscreen
Six-speaker sound system
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Power liftgate
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Keyless entry and start
Manually adjustable driver's seat
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Two rear USB ports

Every Escape also comes with these driver assist features:

Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning (alerts you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
Lane keeping assistance (warns you of a lane departure when a turn signal isn't used and can automatically steer to maintain lane position)

The Active Premium Pack is an optional package on the Active trim that includes:

Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the Escape and the car in front)
Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)

PHEV
The Escape PHEV starts off with the plug-in hybrid powertrain detailed above and the features of the Active trim level. It also has:

18-inch wheels
Heated front seats
Heated steering wheel
Partial vinyl and cloth upholstery
12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
Navigation system
Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the Escape and the car in front)
Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Evasive steering assistance (enhances the forward collision mitigation system with steering-based collision avoidance)
Rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind the vehicle when parking)

ST-Line
Builds on the Active's standard equipment with:

18-inch wheels
Underbody skid plates
Flat-bottom steering wheel
Partial vinyl and cloth upholstery
Roof rails

ST-Line Select
Stepping up to this model adds:

2.0-liter EcoBoost engine
All-wheel drive
LED foglights
One-touch power windows
Remote start
Heated front seats
Heated steering wheel

ST-Line Elite
This trim level adds a long list of convenience and driver assist features that include:

19-inch wheels
LED headlights
Enhanced front accent lighting
Digital instrument panel
Driver's seat memory functions
Power-adjustable front passenger seat
12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
Navigation system
Wireless charging pad
Interior ambient lighting
Adaptive cruise control
Evasive steering assistance
Front and rear parking sensors
Rear automatic braking (applies the brakes automatically to avoid an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the vehicle and its surroundings for tight parking situations)

Platinum
This top trim goes without the ST-Line's skid plates and tops off the standard features list with:

Synthetic leather upholstery
Rain-sensing front wipers
Roof-rack side rails
Universal garage door opener

Many features found on the top trims are offered on supporting trims as options. Other significant options for the Escape, depending on the trim, include:

Tow package
Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with no driver intervention)
10-speaker B&O premium sound system
Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line onto the windshield)
Leather upholstery
Panoramic sunroof

Learn More Here

2026 Ford Escape

Pricing

2026 Ford Escape Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Edmunds spotlight: Two hybrid powertrains to choose from

Competitors to consider

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Save as much as $3,597 with Edmunds

Edmunds suggests you pay

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Escape trim does Edmunds recommend?

Ford Escape models

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